HUMAN SACRIFICES IN RUSSIA.
VERY few persons in Europe, or elsewhere, are aware that human sacrifices still exist in a part of the Russian Empire. The fact is, nevertheless, certain. Among the Tchuktchis such sacrifices still take place, and seem likely to be practiced for a long time to come. At the same time, no blame therefor can be attached to the Russian Government or the Orthodox Church, for efforts by both to stop the custom have proved ineffectual. The sacrifices alluded to are those of old people and the sick, who, finding no pleasure in life, resolve to have done with earthly existence, to rejoin their dead relatives, and to go to increase the number of happy spirits. The Tchuktchi who has made up his mind to die immediately notifies his neighbors and nearest relatives. The news spreads in the circle of his friends, and all of them soon visit the unhappy person, to influence him to change his mind. Prayers, reproaches, complaints, and tears have no effect on the fanatic, who explains his reasons, speaks of the future life, of the dead who appear to him in his sleep, and even when he is awake, calling him to them. His friends, seeing him thus resolved, go away to make the customary preparations. At the end of from ten to fifteen days they return to the hut of the Tchuktchi, with white mortuary garments and some weapons, which will be used by the man in the other world to fight evil spirits and hunt the reindeer. After making his toilet, the Tchuktchi withdraws into the corner of the hut. His nearest relative stands by his side, holding in his hand the instrument of sacrifice, a knife, a pike, or a rope. If the Tchuktchi has chosen the knife, two of his friends hold him under the arms and by the wrists, and, at a given signal, the sacrificer thrusts the knife into his breast. If the pike has been chosen, two of his friends hold that weapon, and two others throw the victim on its point. For strangulation the rope is thrown about his neck, and the sacrificers draw it until death ensues. Then the assistants go to the corpse, redden their hands in its blood, and place it on a sledge drawn by reindeer, which draws it to the place of the funeral. Arriving at their destination, the Tchuktchis cut the throat of the reindeer. They then take from the dead body of the person killed its clothing, which is torn in pieces, and place the corpse on a lighted funeral pile. During the incineration the assistants offer up prayer to the happy in the other world, and supplicate these to watch over them and theirs. These horrible practices are followed today with the same exactness as in ancient times. The Iukatchis, the Lamouts, and the Russians, invited to these sacrifices, often take part in them, although there is no example of one of them having taken the same road to reach the other world.—Literary Digest.